Alternate Ending to THE GIVER
by ArtisticTalents101
Summary: LOL, um, this is something i did in 5 or 6 years ago, but its an alternate ending to one of my favourite stories. PLEASE READ!


**Written 5 years ago! (EXCUSE THE LACK OF SOPHISTICATION AND THE MISTAKES) **

THE GIVER

Jonas ran towards the music as fast as his legs could carry him. Gabe stirred and opened his eyes weakly.

"We're here Gabe!" he whispered, feeling excited and quite certain that he had reached his destination after so long. Gabe stared back with emotionless eyes. Jonas sighed; Gabe was getting weaker and weaker by the minute.

But nevertheless, they were finally here! Gabe could be warm, and have food and get strong!

Jonas approached one of the rooms and looked into one of the windows. He peered in and saw a family unit sitting together and singing... he heard music and saw a fireplace. The place looked so warm, and he could see vivid colour's dancing around in the light; red, orange, yellow, blue... and other colours, however, he couldn't remember the names. The family unit looked so happy and there was a type of atmosphere in the house ... but he couldn't seem to find the word to describe it. It was something joyful...and yet the atmosphere seemed more than joyful.

Jonas looked at the girl, she didn't wear hair ribbons, and she was sitting on the mans lap. The boy was sitting beside the woman, they all looked so peaceful. So sincere. They had so much...so much... Jonas struggled to find the word. It was warmth... but joyful. It was happiness ... but more. He simply couldn't find the word.

He surveyed the room. There was food, so much food on a big table. Jonas mouth watered, he looked at Gabriel, who wasn't moving; his eyes open and unblinking. Panic stirred within Jonas. He shook Gabe gently,

"Gabriel, Gabe...Were here Gabe, wake up."

Jonas voice was dry and hoarse from lack of water, his lips numb and blue from the severe cold. Gabe gave no response. Gabe's hands and feet were cold- nearly frozen. His hair had ice and snow brindled in between his golden locks. His eyelashes were covered with ice and Gabe wasn't breathing.

Jonas hardly knew what to do. He was panicking; he placed Gabe on the ground and started to rub Gabe's ice cold hands and feet hoping that the insignificant amount of heat it produced would be enough to revive Gabe.

Jonas rubbed and rubbed, his hands were sore... and yet nothing happened. Gabe was gone. Gabe was released. Jonas stared at the baby. Those pale eyes stared right back. Jonas felt something stir within him. It wasn't joy. Definitely not. Jonas felt Pain, raw pain and it made him fall on the ground and start crying in deep sorrow. Crying because he had come all the way to Elsewhere... and Gabe couldn't see it, instead Gabe had to go through unbearable cold... near starvation and experience a slow and painful death that he didn't deserve.

"NOO GABE! COME BACK! WAKE UP! GABE!" Jonas shouted. His voice breaking from the harsh wind.

He regretted ever coming to Elsewhere, but he knew he couldn't go back. Jonas cried, his heart breaking with each tear that rolled down his face; a distorted rhythm that seemed to mock him continuously. He had never felt pain like this in his life. The pain seemed to go through bone, flesh and skin and pierce his soul. It killed him inside to see Gabe lying on the ground. Dead. Gabe had done nothing wrong.

He noticed that the music from the room stopped.

Jonas held Gabe carefully; he wrapped his arms around Gabe's lifeless body, a fragile doll, unable to respond.

"I'm so sorry Gabe, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." He whispered, tears streaming down his face. Jonas felt regret, and anger, so much anger. He didn't know why.

He heard noises and turned to find that the people that were in the room were now standing behind him looking, surprised and concerned. He saw the girl and the boy. The girl was hiding behind the woman's legs, and the boy was holding the woman's hand. The man approached him slowly; he held a lantern in his hand and used his other hand to shield his eyes due from the punishing wind that was blowing more fiercely.

"You all right there, son?" The man asked. He looked genuinely concerned. Jonas wanted to speak, wanted to answer the man, but no words came out. He wanted to tell the man about how he came from The Community, how he ran away with Gabe, how the Community would be in utter confusion now, How his parents were going to kill Gabe. How he and Gabe survived in the snow, how he gave memories to Gabe. But nothing came out. Silent tears poured down Jonas' face, he looked at Gabe and then looked back at the man, desperately hoping that the man would understand what he was trying to say. The man understood perfectly, He slowly took Gabe from Jonas and handed Gabe to the woman, who stifled a gasp as she realized the life that Gabe was lacking. He then went closer to Jonas and picked him up and carried him inside the house. Then everything went black.

When Jonas awoke, he was in a soft bed. He looked around, everything was so different, he looked down at his legs, they were bandaged up, he looked at his fingers, and like the rest of his limbs they too were bandaged up.

A random image of Gabe entered his mind, and he began to panic and wonder where he was, and then gradually and painfully remembered that Gabe was gone. Jonas tried hard to stop the tears, but he couldn't help it. He started to weep. The pain in his belly growing worse each time he thought of Gabe. He didn't even get to say goodbye to his baby brother. That hurt the most.

Jonas heard the door open and the man that picked him up the night before walk in with a bowl of hot soup. The man sat down next to Jonas, and inserted a spoonful of soup into Jonas' mouth. Jonas swallowed it hungrily; it had been a while since he last had normal food. The man was quiet as he fed Jonas. Both lost in their own thoughts. Jonas struggling to let go of the few images he had of Gabe. The man wondering what in the world could have happened to this young boy that forced him to wear an expression of such deep anguish.

Later on, Jonas walked outside, on his own. The family unit didn't stop him, almost as if they knew he had to do this. The woman watched him leave, tears glistening in her eyes. He wanted to comfort her, but knew not how. His bones were healing from the frost bite, and he was much healthier yet he felt no emotion. It was almost like the life had been sucked away from him when Gabe died. He walked deeper and deeper in to the snow, his bandages getting soaked along with his pants. But Jonas didn't care. He kept walkin, until he stumbled and fell... lying there in the snow, he recollected everything that had mattered to him most, 'his family unit, Fiona, Asher, The Giver... and finally Gabe.'

He knew he had reached his final destination, he had completed his task. His mission was finally over. He had done what he was supposed to do, even though he had to sacrifice so much. He looked back at the house; he now knew what the atmosphere in the house was. Love. Pure love. Jonas looked down at his feet. They were a beautiful in a disturbing way and he vaguely noticed that they were bleeding. But Jonas felt nothing. In the past few months, he had felt love, anger, joy, warmth... and Pain. He remembered Gabriel. His brother. But at the present moment he felt no sadness, his eyes didn't water. Instead he felt emotionless like an ocean, vast without a beginning or an end. Like he wasn't capable of experiencing any sort of feeling anymore. He thought he saw blurry images of his father. His sister... but they slowly vanished into the mist around him. Jonas felt his heart beat slower and slower. He knew it was over, and with that ... he closed his eyes. Never to open them again.

By Christina Kali.


End file.
